The Light That Guides – Walking God’s Paths
John Wesley was the great theologian and leader of the Methodist movement, but it was his brother Charles Wesley who was the outstanding hymn writer of his time. As we continue our Lenten journey, hear these words from one of Charles’ hymns written in 1749:
"Jesus, my Truth, my Way,
My sure, unerring Light,
On Thee my feeble steps I stay,
Which Thou wilt guide aright.
My Wisdom and my Guide,
My Counsellor Thou art;
O let me never leave Thy side,
Or from Thy paths depart!"
Old English, but I’m sure you heard what he was saying – that God is our Truth, our Way, our Guide and our Light, it is on His paths that our feet should be walking.
God Our Guide
This is what Lent is about. It’s about finding our way back to God’s paths. Perhaps in your self-examination on Wednesday, you recognised that your feet have been going to the wrong places. And so you repented of these things, and committed to a season of self-denial to get back onto the right paths.
This reminds me of the words of Psalm 23, where David wrote “He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” Lent is about getting so close to Jesus that you begin to see His guiding light, His wisdom, His counsel more clearly, and so you begin to take the right paths and leave the sinful ones in your past.
God’s Word Our Light
Of course, let’s not forget that it is God’s Word that provides us with Jesus’ guiding light! Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Self-examination and self-denial are great, but if you aren’t diving into God’s Word to find His guiding light, then those two exercises becoming futile.
I hope that these devotions provide you with God’s guiding Word each day. But I suspect that they aren’t enough! They are short and to the point, which is why many of you enjoy them. But friends, in a dark world, a little bit of light here and there isn’t going to get you very far! You need God’s light to saturate your life! You need His Word to shine so brightly that all your life is illuminated by His truth.
Will you go deeper into His Word as we journey towards Easter together? Remember, that is why we are fasting. Because when we think of the things we have given up, we take the time to go to God and seek His light and guidance.
God wants to guide your way, if you will seek His guiding light. Let’s join Charles Wesley in praying today “Jesus, my Truth, my Way, my sure unerring light, on Thee my feeble steps I stay, which Thou wilt guide aright.”
